Faucet



Jan. 30, 1940. A A. volGHT 2,188,783

FAUCET Filed July 29, 1938 fl@ -my Patented Jan. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENTOFICE FAUC'ET August L. voight, cleveland, ohio Application July Z9, 1938, Serial No. `221,987

` particularly adaptable for drawing beer or car-v bonated beverages.

. An object of the invention is to provide a faucet of the character specified and wherein theI valve of the faucet is moved positively to its-seat.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide in a faucet of this character means for readily and conveniently adjusting the valve without disassembly offtheI faucet, `.wherefore any wear on thejvalve may be compensated for -and ydripping or leaking of the beverage from the faucet avoided. l

Another object is to providefin a faucet of the character specified positive meansl for seating and unseating the valve andv which operates from beneath the valve and forms in the faucet onthe'outlet side of the valve seat anobstruction or restriction that acts to agitate the beer orl other beverage so thatr it will rise in the glass or container .into which it is being drawn with a swirling motion, and in the case o'f beer will create .the desired creamy foam or head on top ofthe glass. Anothervobjectis to provide a faucetfor drawingbeer which is so constructed that when the valveof the faucet is first opened the beer may pass the .valve freely and without spitting,

A still further object ofthe invention vis .tov

provide in a faucet vof the character specified means for lesvs'ening the shock on the stoppin on the outside 4of the faucet when the valve of `the faucet is opened. i j Y j .Another ,objectI to provide a faucet of ythe character `described which can r be readily assembled anddisassembled and which is efficient in operation.V a l j A still vfurther objectv is to provide a beer lfaucet which is so constructed that a` correct glass of beer can be. drawn therefrom with a single openingv of thefaucet vas distinguished `from the presn ent faucets whichoften require two ormore open'- ingsvto obtain the desired head or collar of foam on a. glass of beer...

A further object is to provide a faucet which is `so constructed that the `valve isjpositively moved to 'seated or unseated position without the use of springs and wherein the valve` can be opened .easily with very light pressure upon the handle of the faucet, thus resulting in little wear on the valvel andother parts ofthefaucet and increasing the length of service thereof.` j

Further and additional objects and advantages not heleinbeforereferred to will become apparentyhereinafter duringthe Afollowing' detailed description of embodiments of the invention which are p illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein j Fig. 1 is a top plan view ofthe faucet. a portion ofthe handle being shown in section;r l n `5 Fig. 2 is a sectional view through thel faucet and is taken substantiallyon line 2-2 of Fig, 3 looking in the' direction of the arrows, the valve being shown' in closed or seated position in this view;

Fig. y3 is an end elevational View of the faucet with certain portions thereof kbroken awayand in section; y c

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary-sectional View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the Valve and associated parts in operiv position; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentarysectional View through a faucet illustrating Aa modified form of valve operating' means from that previously shown herein. i The faucet is preferably inthe form of a metal casting and has an inlet portion It provided with a. bore ll4 therethrough which communicates atv `one end of the portion lll with a threaded counterbore l2A which forms the `means forv connecting the faucet tothe supply line of the beer or other beverage, as will be well understood. The faucet'at the outer end of the portion ylil has an integral portion i3 which extends downwardly fromythe portion iii as illustrated in the drawing. The 30 upper end of the portion I3 is of greater diameter .f j than the lower end i3d thereof.' The portion i3 of the faucet is provdedwith a valve chamber i4 that isin communication with the bore H' inthe portion lll. .At the lower end of the Valve cham'-l ber Ill there is provided an annular flange yforining a valve seat l5.v When the valve is vopen Y the chamber it is ,inycornmunication with a bore II6 in the lower'partla of the portion i3 and said I bore- I yforrns the outlet passage of the faucet. The portion I3 of the faucet just below `the valve Aseat l5 is provided with an Vintegral outwardly extending rounded' boss ll in which is mounted that part of ,the valve actuating 'mechanism' to which the handle' is operatively connected, as will be later explained; v

The valve of the faucet is in the form of th usual seat ball It which'preferably is formed of rubber andhas its lower end of conical configura-- tion, as will be well understood. A rod lil extends v through the ball i8 and is threaded at its `upper end to receive a nut'2 which can be adjustably screwed down against theball to press the latter into engagement with a collar 2l carried by the rod rI 9 below the ball. The vrod Ill `also extends through an opening 22a having curved surfaces, as indicated in Fig. 2, and formed in the end of the arm 22 of a yvalve actuating member 23. It will be noted that the arm 22 is located intermediate the collar 2| and the head |90!l of the rod I9.

In vassembling the ball I8 and the rod I9 in the faucet, the rod is passed into the faucet from the outlet end thereof and through the opening 22a in the armv 22 of the valve actuating member 23. Then the collar 2|v is positioned on the rod I9 from the upper end of the portion I3, after which the ball I8 is forced upon the rod from the upper end of the portion I3 of the faucet and the nut 29 is screwed down upon the rod to properly position the ball I8. After this has taken place, the upper end of the portion I3 of the faucet is closed and sealed by the cap 24 which is threadedly connected to the faucet, as clearly shown in the, drawing.

The'cap 24 is provided on its inner side with acylindrical flange 25 forming a recess, the bottomy of which carries a rubber or other bumper 26, it being noted that, when the valve is in closed position as shown in Fig. 2, the upper end of the rod I9 extends partially into the recess formed as shown inA Fig. 4, the upper end of the rod ex-` tends into the recess until it contacts with the bumper 26.

The boss I1 on the portion I3 of the faucet is solid except for a centrally disposedslot 21 in which is located the valve actuating member 23 that carries the arm 22. This member 23 is provided with an opening therethrough having a flat wall 23a, and a stub shaft or pin 28 carried by or fixed to the handle 29 is adapted to extend into the opening in the member 23 and is provided with a flat cooperating with the flat 23a. The stub shaft or pin 28, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3, extends through a boreformed in the boss I1 and has its inner end located in the opening in the member 23. There is provided in the` boss I1 a threadedcounterbore which receives a packing gasket 39'and a gland nut 3| arranged on 4the stub shaft or pin 28 and screwed into the said counterbore. 'Ihe boss I1 on the side opposite that in which the pin 28 is arranged receives the headed handle screw 32 which screws into `a threaded recess in the inner end of the shaft or pin 28 and holds the handle 29 and the valve yactuating member 23 in operative assembled relationship. A suitable packing gasket 33 and a gland nut 34 are arranged in a counterbore in the boss I1 and surround the screw 32,v it being understood that said gasket 33 and the y gasket 30 provide a fluid-tight arrangement whereby beer or other beverages which may vco work into the slot 21 will not leak to the outside of the faucet.

The handle 29 adjacent its lower and wider portion is provided with the usual curved slot k35 into which extends a stop pin L36 that projects outwardly from the side of the faucet and limits the movement of the handle in opposite directions. It will be noted that the handle 29 intermediate these ends is curved so that the actuating knob 29a secured to the upper endl of the handle is located centrally above the faucet, wherefore the faucet can be operated with equal facility by either a right-handed or a leilty handed person.

The parte of the faucet as iuustratea in the drawings are so arranged that when the valve l'or ball I8 is in the seated or closed position, as

shown in Fig. 2, the handle 29 is in substantially a vertical position while the upper end of 'l the rod I9 extends slightly into the recess formed on the ange 25 on the inner side of ther cap 24. At this time the presure of the beer in the valve chamber I4 is acting on the valve or ball I8 and holds the same firmly against its seat. When it is desired to draw a glass of beer or other beverage, the operator merely pullsthe handle 29 towardl himself or downwardly, andv this movement of the handle causes the valve yactuating member 23 and the arm 22 to rock in a clockwise direction as'y viewed in the drawing from the .position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown 'and this engagement absorbs al large portion of the shockl incident to stopping the openingmovement of the handle 29, thus relieving the stop pin 36 and preventing the same from being bent or broken 01T.- as so often occurs in faucets-'now in use. When the valveisunseated, the beer -or other beverage will flow from the valve chamber I4 intorthe outlet bore IIi'l of the faucet. It will be noted, however, that the collar 2|, the end of the arm 22, and the head 23 of the rod I9 rform an obstruction in the outlet passage such that the beer or other beverage mustow over or around these elements, Thisfact causes the beer tobe agitated to `an-extentsu'ch that it will rise in the container into which lit isldrawn with a swirling motion and thereby create a ycrean'iy foam on the top of the beer giving thelatter the desired head cr collar.

Whenthe container has been erator merely pushes the handle 29'away from him or upwardly, and this movement'eifects av positive rocking movement of the arm 22 of the actuating member 23 ina clockwise or vdownward direction to positively draw the rod I9 downwardly andv to positively seat lthe ball or valve sued, `the epf I8 on the seat I 5,'theseating of thevalve being assisted by the pressure of the `beer in the valve chamber i4. It will be'seen that the movement ofthevalve in either direction, i. e., to open or to close the same, is positively eifected andno ist reliance is placed upon springs or other similar i means to veffect a tight closingtof the faucet.

After the faucet has been in use for a' consiol-` erable period of time, it might b e that the conical lower end of the ball I8 has become worn so that the faucet will drip.` When this occurs it is only necessary toremove the cap' 24 and tighten the 1nut 29 against the ball|8v to movethe latter more firmly intojengagement'with the seat I5 tocompensatefor such wear.

In Fig. 5 there is iuustr'a'ted a somewhat meeuiied form of the invention and. particularly .With

'respect to the manner in which the arm 22 of thevalve actuating member is connected to the ball valvel I3. In vthis form ashort rod 31 is passed through astraight opening 22h in the end Aof the arm 22 and said rod is provided with a slotted head 31a anda threaded upper portion 31h; The

'threaded upper portion is screwed into an elon-r through the valve chamber I4. It will be understood that a suitable tool, suchas a screwdriver, cooperating with the slotted head 31a can be used to turn therod 31 to elect a threaded engagement between the same and the collar 38. The ball valve VI8 is then positioned in the chamber I4 from the upper side of the faucet after which a long rod 39 provided with an elongated threaded portion 39a and carrying a nutv 40 is passed through the ball valve I8 andfby means of the slotted head 4I at its upper end is rotated to screw the 'same into the collari38. A faucet employingl the construction just described will operate'in the same manner as the faucet previously referred to, it lbeing noted, however, that when it is desired to replaceythe ball valve I8 it is not necessary to remove the rod 3l from the arm 22 or from the collar 38 but merely to un- Ascrew the rod 39 from the collar 38 and then lift the ball valve I8 from the faucetfthrough the upper end thereof. It will also 'be noted that the nut 4.0 from time to time can be turned down against the ball valve I8 to force the latter more tightly to its seat to compensate for Wear.

Although two preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described i Y herein`,`it` will be understood that the invention is' susceptible of various modications and adapat its lower end with an outlet passage communieating with said chamber, said valve chamber being'of greater cross-sectional area than said bore and said passage, a Valve seat at the junction of said chamber and said outlet passage, a rockable valve actuating member having an arm located in said outlet passage and provided with an opening, a rod extending through said opening in said arm and through said valve, means on of said rod for limiting the movement thereof in one direction.

"said rod operatively interconnecting the same ywith said arm and said valve, and buffer means located in said chamber in the path of movement access may be had to saidchambena valve in said chamber and normally seating on said seat,y

a rockable actuating arm extending into said out# let passage, a rod extending through said arm and throughsaid valve and into said chamber,

andl adjustable means on said rod on opposite sides of said valve which can be adjusted when said Iclosure member is removed without disassembling the valve. 1 y I 3. In a faucet of the character described, two angularly disposed portions one of which Vis provided with an inlet bore and the other of which is provided with an. outlet passage and a valve chamber, an actuating arm in s aid outlet passage,

' chamber adjacent saidinlet bore and communiy, eating therewith, a valve seat at one end of said chamber, a lremovable closure member for closing the other end of said chamber, a valve in said a rod extending ythrough said arm and valveand into said chamber and operatively interconnecting said arm and valve, said closure member .be-`

ing provided on its inner' side with buffer means limiting movement of the rod in the valve opening direction.

AUGUST L. VOIGHT. 

